Brokerages Set National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG) PT at $96.33

National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG) has earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the five analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have issued a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $96.3333.

Several equities analysts have weighed in on NFG shares. Zacks Research lowered shares of National Fuel Gas from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of National Fuel Gas in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Scotiabank set a $101.00 price objective on National Fuel Gas in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st.

Institutional Trading of National Fuel Gas

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 30.0% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 159,953 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $12,667,000 after buying an additional 36,913 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas during the 1st quarter valued at about $247,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its position in National Fuel Gas by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 220,730 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $17,480,000 after acquiring an additional 8,304 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth increased its stake in National Fuel Gas by 79.5% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 12,729 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $1,008,000 after purchasing an additional 5,638 shares during the period. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the first quarter worth about $138,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.96% of the company’s stock.

National Fuel Gas Price Performance

NYSE:NFG opened at $87.41 on Wednesday. National Fuel Gas has a one year low of $69.93 and a one year high of $94.13. The stock has a market cap of $8.31 billion, a PE ratio of 12.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 0.65. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $82.08 and a 200 day moving average price of $84.07.

National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The oil and gas producer reported $2.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.91 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $651.51 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $650.70 million. National Fuel Gas had a return on equity of 21.45% and a net margin of 27.65%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.66 EPS. National Fuel Gas has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.600-8.100 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that National Fuel Gas will post 6.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were paid a $0.535 dividend. This represents a $2.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. National Fuel Gas’s payout ratio is 29.85%.

About National Fuel Gas

National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE: NFG) is a diversified energy company engaged primarily in the production, gathering, transmission, distribution and marketing of natural gas. The company operates through four principal segments: Exploration & Production, Pipeline & Storage, Utilities, and Energy Marketing. Its integrated asset base spans upstream development in the Appalachian Basin, regional pipeline networks, underground storage facilities, and regulated utility distribution systems.

In its Exploration & Production segment, National Fuel Gas focuses on developing natural gas reserves in the Marcellus and Utica shales, leveraging modern drilling and completion techniques.